Spanish Colonialism: Exploring the Lasting Impact it Left on the Indigenous Peoples in the Americas

School recently has been keeping me busy. Homework, stress and a lot of therapeutic baking has consumed my time in the past three weeks. Just this week, we did this project in school on Spanish Colonialism in the Americas, and I thought I would share it with you!

Living in a place you call home your whole life, only to suffer from enslavement and discrimination was the devastating truth for the Indigenous peoples in the Americas at the time of Spanish colonization. When Christopher Colunbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492, that marked the beginning of the Spanish conquest in the Americas. The effects of Spanish colonialism on the Indigenous societies resulted in death and enslavement. 

During the Spanish colonialism in the Americas, the Indigenous people suffered from death and disastrous losses, leading to millions of people dying. In the document Native American Population Chart, it can be seen the estimated population of the Native Americans in Mexico from 1513-1593. The chart shows how across 80 years, over 23.5 million people died, highlighting the negative implications that the Spanish left behind. The Indigenous were forced to work in brutal labor systems, overworking and being exploited by Spanish people of power. 

The second piece of evidence comes from a man by the name of Bernardino de Sahagún, a Spanish friar and missionary who came to the Americas. The source was The Great Epidemic and focused on the deadly plague that affected the Indigenous population. Sahagún stated “The sick were so utterly helpless, they could only lie on their beds like corpses…a great many died from this plague” The lack of basic healthcare was an important thing to note, as many would agree that the preliminary access to medicine would be necessary. The Indigenous populations contributed greatly to the economy of the Americas, and yet still suffered from death and the killing of their own people. 

The systems in place that were implemented during the Spanish colonialism in the Americas resulted in Indigenous populations facing enslavement and mistreatment. The document Codex Tepetloaztoc made by the Indigenous people of the time is meant to serve as visual documentation of mistreatment by the Spanish. On the document, a bearded man with European clothing can be seen ordering the tribute system and possibly executing the punishment. Indigenous figures in flames can also be noticed, likely showing the torture of the Indigenous people. Fire was occasionally used symbolically to show suffering or destruction in codexes. Although some might argue that this source could possibly contain personal bias towards the Indigenous given they wrote it, the fact remains that this is additionally a primary source and contains important ties and Indigenous culture. 

The second document is Encomienda and states “Thousands of Indigenous people died from overwork and harsh treatment.” These implications from forced labor display the inequality the Indigenous faced, as well as the injustice that resulted out of their work. Despite the enormous wealth that was brought into Spain from silver mining as well as Spain’s rise in global power, the Indigenous populations were still forced to overwork and suffer brutal labor systems. All in all, the lives of the Indigenous people at the time of Spanish colonialism show an example of enslavement and unjustified mistreatment. 

In conclusion, the effects of Spanish colonialism in the Americas were negative towards the Indigenous people for two significant reasons: death and enslavement. The mistreatment of these communities is an example of mistreatment in the past, with recurring patterns even today. When differences in power and opinion interfere with bias of a certain group and/or identity, unjustifiable actions and devastating events will occur. Indigenous peoples and communities lacked basic rights, but they played a role in shaping the Americas forever. Moving forward, to ensure progress to a world where severe differences in power do not affect actions, removing personal bias as well as understanding different perspectives is absolutely key as it will help create an equitable society for all.